An Upside to Disappointment in Close Relationships: Evidence for a Motivational, Relationship-Promoting Role

What are the consequences of disappointment in close relationships? Across five studies of married participants (N = 1396), we present evidence that expressions of disappointment serve a motivational, relationship-promoting role. Specifically, perceiving partners’ disappointment elicited negative emotional responses, but also benign construals of partners’ intentions, and motivation for relationship-promoting changes.